Physical AI
Hacks
Build what moves.
The weekend your code runs on real robots. 48 hours to close the gap between bits and atoms.
AI learned to think.
Now it wants a body.
Physical AI is intelligence with a body—the intersection of machine learning and physical systems. Robots that navigate. Devices that sense and respond. Machines that interact with the real world, not just describe it.
This is the hackathon where you give it one. Real hardware, real physics, real stakes. Your code has to survive contact with reality.
What gets built here:
- Robots that navigate without human control
- Sensors that trigger real-world actions
- Vision systems that manipulate objects
- Interfaces that respond to gesture and voice
Tasks that look simple, until a robot has to do them.
Real-world manipulation problems where progress is visible, measurable, and hard to fake.
Puzzle & Shape Insertion
Shape recognition, pick and place, precise alignment. Simple for humans, challenging for robots.
Plugging In Chargers
Fine insertion and depth perception. A real household task that reveals manipulation complexity.
Pouring Liquid
Depth perception meets precision. Small errors become spills—a benchmark for real-world manipulation.
32 hours. One threshold.
@ Founders Inc, San Francisco
SAT JAN 31
- 9am Doors open
- 10am Kickoff
- 11am Hardware checkout
- 12pm Building begins
OVERNIGHT
3am is when the real work happens. The prototypes that win are forged here.
Venue stays open 24h
SUN FEB 1
- 12pm Submissions close
- 1pm Demos
- 4pm Awards
- 5pm Wrap
You walk in with a sketch. You walk out with a machine.
Models, data, and robots. Ready to go.
We've partnered with leading physical AI companies to provide everything you need. Focus on building, not setup.
Solo Tech
Base VLM and VLA models, along with the fine-tuning workflow, so teams can focus on learning and iteration instead of setup.
World Intelligence
Proprietary multi-sensor glasses and 50+ hours of multimodal egocentric data, including 2D video, depth, IMU, and audio, collected from the same task families used in the hack.
Oli Robotics
Imitation learning robotics data and tooling for robotics tasks, including demonstrations related to automated coffee-making.
Robots & Hardware
You'll have access to real robots on site, so improvements aren't theoretical.
Who's making this happen.
Guides
Expert mentors and judges from robotics, ML, and hardware. Names TBA.
Pick your role.
Build
Join the hackathon. 48 hours to build AI that moves.
Apply on Luma →Mentor
Help builders during the hack. Debug, advise, unblock.
Apply →Judge
Evaluate demos on Sunday. Help pick the winners.
Apply →Sponsor
Back the event. Get in front of builders shaping physical AI.
View packages →Volunteer
Help run the event. Be part of the crew.
Join →Put your brand at the center of robotics progress.
Direct access to top talent, breakthrough demos, and the systems that will define next-generation robotics.
Supporter
$200–$500
Community Presence
- ✓ Logo on website
- ✓ Social media mention
- ✓ Sponsor a meal
Bronze
$1,000
Early Access
- ✓ All Supporter benefits
- ✓ Luma event blast
Silver
$3,000
Builder Engagement
- ✓ All Bronze benefits
- ✓ Logo on signage
- ✓ Dedicated Luma blast
- ✓ Sponsor a unique prize
Gold
$5,000
Deep Technical Impact
- ✓ All Silver benefits
- ✓ Opening ceremony stage time
- ✓ Sponsor top 3 prizes
- ✓ Recruiting roundtable
Hardware contributions and co-branded tracks welcome.
View full sponsorship detailsWhat will you build?
Sunday night, something that didn't exist Friday will be alive in the room.
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Space is limited.